The invention is directed to a machine for opening and closing a snallow trench in the earth and more specifically to a machine that opens a trench in the earth as it moves along, provides guides for operator insertion of vertical stakes into that trench, compacts the earth around the inserted stakes, replaces at least a portion of the dirt in the trench and levels the earth removed when making the trench to substantially a pre-trench state.
In the art to which the invention relates stakes, posts or poles are more usually set in the earth by power or manually operated stake, post or pole driving means wherein the stake, post or pole is driven into the ground impacting it on the top thereof, by the use of augers to drill a hole in which the stake, post or pole is placed or by means wherein the stake, post or pole is pressed into the ground.
Devices of this type are generally shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,551,896; 3,129,924; and 4,111,135.
The impacting devices are impractical when a large quantity of stakes, posts or poles are used because of large labor costs for their insertion, the span time required for their installation and excessive breakage. The other devices while enjoying a limited success are inefficient when compared to the machine of the instant invention.